Feeding means for tape



Patented Nov. 4, 1941 FEEDING MEANS FOR TAPE Trevor R.. Gautier, Nashua,N. H., assignor to Nashua Gummed and Coated Paper Company, Nashua, N.H., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 31, 1939, SerialNo. 302,199

2 Claims. (Cl. 271-21) My present invention relates to serving ordispensing strip material such as adhesive tape, labels and the like,especially dry gumined tape. More particularly, it aims to provideimproved feeding means for such material in association with machines ordevices for serving or delivering moistened lengths of the material froma supply thereof, for sealing, packaging, labeling and kindred purposes.f

As to all common subject matter this application is a continuation of mycopending application, Serial No, 142,668, filed May 14, 1937.

In the drawing illustrating by way of example certain embodiments of theinvention:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of a strip serveror tape dispenser equipped with feeding means in accordance with oneform of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the feeding means or assembling unit of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of a feed assemblycorresponding to that of Figs..

1 and 2, Fig. 3 being a top plan, Fig. 4 a longitudinal vertical sectionthrough the unit of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 a bottom plan;

Figs. 6 and 7 show a further modification' of such feed assembly inaccordance with thel invention, said figures corresponding to Figs. 3

nd 4 res ectively; and a Figs. 8 5nd 9 show still a further f orm of theinvention, said figures being respectively a top plan and a verticallongitudinal section similarly as in Fi s. 6 'and 7. i

Refering to the drawing in more detail, Fig. 1 illustrates one form ofthe tape feeding and guiding means, with which ythe invention isparticulai'ly concerned, in -connection with a strip server or tapedispenser of the hand type suitable for use on store counters, atpackage wrapping stations, in shipping rooms and such locations. Invarious respects, however, the inventionis adapted for use with otherthan manual dispensers, including the semi-automatic and automatic typesI achines. of'Isll'ilmilhlstrative' machine of 1 comprises a frame orhousing including side walls, one of which is indicated at I, a -frontwall 2, a reasr wall (not shown) and an intermediate wall The latterdefines two main compartments for the machine, a rear compartment 4yprovidirg a support, housing or well for the tape suppy roll R, and afront compartment E'forming a tank or reservoir for the moisteningliquid. 'I'Ixole frame further includes a bottom wall E, e forwardportion of which forms the bottom or said reservoir, and a rear portionthereof acting to support the tape supply R. One or more guide rollers,such as indicated at l, may bedisposed transversely in the tape well 4,to Iassist in positioning the roll of tape for feeding.

projecting upwardly at the front or delivery pory tion of the machineinto the path of the tape so as to have moistening engagement with itsunderfacle as it issues from the machine. One or more positioning lugs 9inthe reservoir retain the moistener 8 in proper operative position.vThe rear wall 3 of the reservoir is apertured at its upper part as atSato limit ther height of the liquid to a level below the tape feedingand guiding means-now to be described.

Such vmeans, through the mediumiofl which the tape T from the supply Ris adapted tol be advanced for delivery inmoistened condititon at thefront end of the machine, comprises a feed and guide assembly or unit,sometimes herein referred to as the feed-guide plate or tape'chute.Said'assembly is disposed, preferably removably, at the top of the frontlcompartment or reservoir. 5, providing in effect a cover for the latteras well asa tape-guiding floor bridging across between the tape roll-compartment 4 and the delivery station adjacent the nroistener 8- Inthe embodiment shown in Figs.v 1 and 2, this feed-guide assemblycomprises a bottom plate floor, or under guide element I 0 andanoverlying top plate or upper guideelernent I I, spaced from the bottomplate as by side flanges I2, said elements togetherV defining a feedthroat or chute for the tape. Said under guide or oor element I0 and theupper and lateral guide means I I, I2 may be separably related and heldin assembled position, and in place on the machine frame,` as by clipsor the like on either or both of them. As here'shown, however, saidparts vare attached together, as by interlocking formations such as thedown projections I3 on the side walls I2 of the upper plate received incorresponding openings I4 in the bottom plate I Il, their projectingends beingturned to prevent their unintentional withdrawaly in some suchmanner as seen in Fig. 5.

The feed-guide assembly as a whole is operatively positioned on themachine frame, as upon the frame side walls I. The latter may berecessed along their inner top edges to provide shoulders for receivingthe opposite side edges of the bottom plate I further to position theassembly unit.

At its rear end the bottom plate III desirably has a down-turned lip I5to receive the tape coming from the roll R. Extensions of said lip maybe formed as open bearings or hinge fingers I6 cooperable with studs I1on the inner faces of the opposite side walls I, additionally toposition the feed-guide plate or assembly with capacity for upwardswinging or bodily removal. At its fore end the bottom plate I0 may beupturned as at I8 to assist in directing the tape accurately up to andacross the moistener 8. The front edge of the upper plate II, adjacentthe moistening and delivery station, is constructed and arranged to forma severing element or cutter I 9 for the tape. Said upper platedesirably also has its rear end turned up as indicated at 20 to assistin guiding the tape into the feed chute, particularly in instances wherethe tape is overfed, that is, from the top of a roll supply wound gummedside in. The tape T as indicated in dotted line in Fig. 1 is underfed,that is, from the bottom of the roll supply R which is assumed to bewound With the gummed face out. It is also to be noted that theoppositely deflected rear end portions or lips I5 and 20 of the bottomand top plate elements IU and II form in effect a receiving throat intowhich the leading end of the tape is easily threaded, in initiallysetting up the machine or when installing a fresh roll of tape.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the feed-guide assembly or tapechute comprises a flooring or iioor element including the bottom plateI0 underlying and defining a path for the tape, together with suitableguide means at the sides of and above the tape path to confine theadvancing tape to the latter. Such guide means is herein afforded by thetop plate guide I I, which is longitudinally apertured or open for asubstantial portion of its length, as indicated at 2I, to expose thetape path. This top opening permits the upper face of the tape to beengaged, either by one or more of the operators fingers or by anappropriate presser device, to move the tape forwardly along its path asdened by the underlying floor.

Referring now especially to Figs. V1 and 2, the bottom plate I0 of thefiooring is formed with a longitudinal slot formation 22, rearwardly ofits front or tape delivery end and extending back toward the rollsupply. The term slot is here to include a formation in the nature of adepression or recess with closed or partly closed bottom, and also acut-out, aperture or through-opening formation. At least a portion ofthis slot forguiding or flooring elements to be movcd with and by hisfingers.

In the embodiment of Figs. l and 2 such movable flooring means comprisesa plurality of rotary elements or roller-like units, four of which areseen in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, indicated as a whole by thenumerals 25, 25, 21, 28. Said elements are rotatably mounted in the slotformation 22 with their upper portions or crests in or slightly abovethe plane of the tape path as defined by the cooperating floor plate I5.In this instance said plate I0 has down-turned portions I Ua at thesides of the slot formation 22 providing hanger means or flanges inwhich the movable floor elements 25 to 28 are rotatably held at theiropposite ends.

These rotary flooring elements individually may be variously constructedand arranged as appropriate for different service conditions. In theexample illustrated the two foremost elements 25 and 26 are eachintegrally formed in one piece. Each comprises a plurality of laterallyspaced circumferential ribs or disks 29, with intermediate spacerportions of reduced diameter, and end bearings or pintles 3l received insaid flanges I0a of the plate IIJ. The adjacent rotary elements 25 and26 are disposed with their mation 22 in the under guide I0 liesvertically I as herein shown, by placing his finger, or a number offingers, on the exposed top face of the tape, over the movable flooringmeans, and moving his finger toward the front of the machine whilepressing downwardly sufficiently to cause the tape and the underlyingmovable feeding and disk parts 29 in spaced or non-overlapping,nonintermeshing relation lengthwise the tape path, this same conditionpreferably applying whether the disk parts 29 are arranged in alignmentlengthwise the tape path or are offset or staggered as in the elements21 and 28.

One alternate construction for such rotatively movable flooring elementsor units is represented in the element 21. As seen in Fig. 2, thiselement comprises a shaft 32 mounted in the iianges Illa and havingconcentrically disposed upon it alternating disks 33 and spacers 34.Said parts 33 and 34 may be fixed on the shaft, the latter beingrotatable in its bearing flanges, or said parts may be loosely disposedon the shaft for rotation individually and independently of the latter.

In other instances the construction may be as in the rotary element orunit 28, comprising a supporting shaft 35 hung on the flanges Illa andhaving distributed along it a plurality of separate sleeve-like parts,some of which have in one integral piece a flange or disk portion 36and, at least at one face of the latter, a spacer portion 31 of reduceddiameter. One spacer portion 31 is disposed between each disk member 3B.The individual sleeve-like elements may consist of one disk 36 and oneintegral spacer 31, as at the upper right portion in Fig. 2, or they mayhave integral spacers 31 at both sides, as at the lower right corner inFig. 2. Plain disk elements, such as represented at 36a may beinterposed at appropriate points to make up the rotary element 28 as awhole, with the laterally spaced disks 36 or 36a coming at the desiredlocations crosswise of the tape path. As in the instance of the element21 the parts or sub-units 36, 36a, 31 of the element 28 may be eitherfast or loose on their supporting shaft 35.

The flange or disk members of the adjacent rotary elements, whether ofthe type of the unit 21 or the unit 28 are all disposed, in theillustrated example, in non-intermeshing relation in succeeding rows.They may be mutually offset substantially as illustrated, or may be inalignment lengthwise the tape path, as in the case of the disks of theunits 25 and 26. That is, in any adjoining disk-rows or rotary elements25, 26, 21

"2,261,359 or 28, the disk orangeparts 'having the @larger diameter 'mayeither be' 'offset or inline-"with each otherlengthwise; the tape chuterIn gen-y eral," the built-up formof rotary elementsuch as 21' or 28 isespecially adaptedffo'r use at the rear portion of the, feed'e'guide,wherey ilheacapac-v ity of the individualV parts to shift inthe@ axialdirection is 'of assistancein supporting `or aligning the tapelaterallyof,V the* guide `as a whole. Conversely, the integral elements such as2'5y and 26 'arleespecially suitable at forward locations. Such:integral'or solid units 25, 26 by? reason of their'grea'ter mass havelasomewhat greater -inertia, tending'to oppose undesiredlforwardfmovement vof the 'tape from Qitsrr'est positionf and, at the endof a feeding movement, to advancethe leading en d .of thev tapevslightly'beyond the delivery vend of thechutef l o f "Turningnowtogliigs.A 3 to 5, anyparts therein not otherwise referredto may bethe's'ame kas in Figs. 1 `and 2.l In this `instance theguide flooring orunderplate 40 hasf'a similar slo't formation 42, with dependingflangeslf40a at-its opposite side portions. Mounted on vside flanges isa lplu-r ralityof roller bearing'lelemerits -43 hel'dfv against axialdisplacement as byfcotter pins *orthellike 44; see' Fig. 5. `Saidbearings-48` support a longitudinally movable feedv element or :feedslide 45 comprising a body or main slide of a length eX- ceeding that ofthe slot 'formation 42, so as to cover the latter, at least in the rearor normal stationary position of the slide, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5.

On the upper face of the slide 45 is an upstanding projection or crosspiece 46, the rear edge of which is adapted to abut the back edge of theslot formation 42 as a stop. Said cross piece 46 is desirably roughenedat its top face for firm engagement with the tape or has attached to ita tape-engaging element 41, secured by rivets or the like 48, Fig. 3.Said engaging member 41 may be corrugated, uted or otherwise formed asindicated at 49 to facilitate its non-slip engagement with the undergummed face of the tape when the latter is pressed down onto it for afeeding operation.

The feeder slide 45 as a whole is normally held rearwardly in, and isreturned to, its inactive position in readiness forthe next feedingaction. Suitable spring means is provided for this purpose, such as thecoil spring 50 anchored at its rear end to the depending rear angeportion 48h of the iioor plate 48 and at its front end connected to afinger I on the feed slider.

In the further modification illustrated in Figs.

6 and 7 parts not otherwise referred to may again be as in previousfigures, this also applying in connection with Figs. 8 and 9. The underguide or ooring plate 60, Figs. 6 and '7, has a slot formation 6 l, inthis instance in the nature of a depression or recess closed or partlyclosed by the depressed bottom-forming element or plate 62 supportedbetween and by the depending anges 68a at the sides of the slotformation 6l. This vauxiliary plate 62 serves in part as a supporting toY*assist in :guiding theendless feeder velementsinftheirfeeding"movement Atv the 'rear said longitudinallymovable-feeders are lsupported and guided around a 'rollerorthelike',and at the front-'they are similarly guided as upon arcuate iangey 61"depending lat the front edge of the supporting-plate 162-. .f 1

'Itrwllbe understood that vthe desired length of tape is fed by VVtheoperatonl'by ldepressing the tape against 'the endless feeder device'atlany appropria'te point "lengthwise, the 'feed-guide as awholef'andrmovin'g the tape together with one or more endless travellingelements of -said device i-nfagenerallyfsimil'armanner as in the otherfigures.

In the further modication of Figs. 8 and 9 the movableaooring-means forassisting inv guiding and feeding the ta'pecomprisesA a plurality ofin-v dividuallyrotatable but axially xed roller elements, somewhat as inFigs. 1 and 2. In this instance'fhowever, the oor'ing plate-y 10,yapertured at "1 l and similarly provided with depending side an'ges1Ua, carries apluralityof cylindrical feed,` rollersY of which one ormore differ from others in diameter. -A's shown inv said Figs; 8 and-9,two rolls'1-2 and 13 are each of the same or similar andrelatively'largefdiameter and are rotatable fon or rotatably supportedby axial membersv14'a'nd7'15 respectively, received in thedep'endingflanges'18a..y Between' said larger rollers 12 and 13 and in aspaced relation so as to be out of contact with them is a roller 16 ofrelatively smaller diameter and having supporting axial means 11. Inthis series of rollers 12, 13, 16 alternately of relatively large andrelatively small diameter individually, the several rollers are sodisposed that their upper portions or crests are in or slightly abovethe plane of the tape path as dened by the flooring plate 10. It will beunderstood that the several rollers of such series may be otherwisearranged than as illustrated, as by interposing one larger roll betweentwo smaller ones. In general it is preferable to locate one of thesmaller rollers between each two of the larger ones, but in the case oflonger guides two or more of the larger diametered rolls, or two or moreof the smaller ones, may be juxtaposed at one or more positionslengthwise the feed-guide means as a whole.

My invention is not limited to kthe particular embodiments hereinillustrated or described, and I set out its scope in my followingclaims.

I claim:

l. In a gummed tape dispenser comprising a frame having a support for atape supply and a forward tape delivery portion, feed guide meansassociated with said forward portion, said means comprising an assemblyunit including a bottom platehaving a longitudinal slot formation, aseparately formed top plate also having a slot formation opposite thatin the bottom plate, said top plate being of lesswidth than the bottomplate and having downturned side flanges for supporting and verticallyspacing it above the latter and providing side guides for the tape to beadvanced between the two plates as a feed throat, said plates havinginterlocked projections and receiving formations for attaching them inassembled relation, the front ends of the plates being verticallydeflected in substantial parallelism for tape directing purposes andtheir rear ends being deiiected away from each other to form a receivingmouth at the rear of the feed throat, said rear deected portion of thebottom plate adaptedv to aid in positioning the assembly unit on thedispenser frame with capacity for upward swinging about its rear portionand for bodily removal and the frame having laterally extendingpositioning means for cooperation with said rear portion of the bottomplate to afford it said capacity, and movable ooring means operativelydisposed in said slot formation of the bottom plate and comprising aplurality of rows of rtary disk elements, the latter being laterallyspaced in each row and in lengthwise non-overlapping relation inadjoining rows, theA rotary disk elements of one or more of said rowsbeing integrally formed as a structural unit including intermediatespacer portions of reduced diameter together with supporting hubs at itsopposite ends.

2. In a tape dispensing device, a housing having front and rearsections, the latter adapted to support a roll of tape to be dispensed,guide means for feeding the tape from said roll through a tape chutehaving a top opening and to deliver the tape forwardly from said frontsection of the housing, said guide means comprising a tape chuteassembly unit including a bottom plate having a longitudinal slotformation, a separately formed top plate also having a slot formationopposite that in the bottom plate, said top plate being of less Widththan the bottom plate and having downturned side flanges for supportingand vertically spacing it above the latter and providing side guides forthe tape to be advanced between the two plates as a feed throat, saidplates having interlocked projections and receiving formations forattaching them in assembled relation, the front ends of the plates beingvertically deected in substantial parallelism for tape directingpurposes and their rear ends being deflected away from each other toform a receiving mouth at the rear of the feed throat, said reardeflected portion of the bottom plate adapted to aid in positioning theassembly unit on the dispenser frame with capacity for upward swingingabout its rear portion and for bodily removal and the frame havinglaterally extending positioning means for cooperation with said rearportion of the bottom plate to afford it said capacity, andtape-supporting and feeding means operatively disposed in thelongitudinal slot formation of the bottom plate and cooperating withsaid plate to present a tape chute flooring, said means including aplurality of rotatable roll elements extending transversely of the tapepath and spaced lengthwise of said path in closely adjacent parallelrelation to each other, said elements each having axially spacedportions of relatively small diameter interposing disk-like parts oflarger diameter adapted to have supporting and feeding contact with theunder face of the tape.

TREVOR R. GAUTIER.

